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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-02-06 Daily Xml
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Gynburra

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:17): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister inform the chamber about the Gynburra community festival that was supported by PIRSA fisheries officers?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:17): I thank the honourable member for his question. I am pleased to inform the chamber about Gynburra, which was held on 24 and 25 January in Port Victoria, and the role that PIRSA fisheries officers had in supporting this fantastic event.

Celebrations included a family fun day and a free family movie night on the Friday, leading into a women's pamper day and fireworks and First Nations entertainers on Saturday night. But the main event of the festival is the Clem Graham Senior Memorial Butterfish Competition held on the Saturday. Indeed, the name of the festival, Gynburra, is taken from the traditional Narungga name for butterfish, otherwise known as dusky morwong.

I am advised Gynburra is important to the Narungga people. It has provided an abundant food source for generations and is a species closely tied with the Narungga cultural identity. Traditionally hunted with harpoons on reefs with incoming tides, the method for attracting Gynburra was for the Narungga men to stir up sand by making slight movements with their feet as they waded into the water. This movement would attract the inquisitive and docile Gynburra, which would investigate the movement in the hope of finding their own feed in the form of small crustaceans. Once the fish was close by, with incredible skill, the men would harpoon the Gynburra.

Methods of catching fish have, of course, evolved over time with modern boats, spearguns and snorkelling gear, but the importance of the species remains the same which is why the Gynburra festival and the fishing competition is so important to the local community. The fishing competition has taken place in the waters off Port Victoria for over 50 years, allowing men and boys from Narungga to maintain a cultural connection in passing on knowledge of traditional fishing practices, to provide a feed for their family and community, and battle it out for the title of Butterfish King, a title that goes to the person who catches the biggest fish on the day.

This year's Clem Graham Senior Memorial Butterfish Competition winner was Coen Dixon, with a whopping 90.1-centimetre butterfish. That's right, Mr President: 90.1 centimetres. In terms of winners of other categories, in the under 18's Geoffrey 'Scooby' Webb 'Butterfish Prince' trophy the winners were Ricky Wanganeen and Farin Wanganeen, with butterfish measuring 82.4 centimetres; the Wayne Newchurch Snr Most Butterfish trophy went to Michael Buckskin; the under 18s Neville O'Loughlin Most Butterfish trophy winner was Callan Buckskin; and, finally, the SuperFish for over 55s winner was Ian Harradine Senior.

I congratulate all the winners and everyone who participated in this fantastic competition. After the competition butterfish caught by competitors was cooked by the Royal Volunteer Coast Patrol and served free of charge to the community by Gynburra volunteers.

PIRSA fisheries officers attend each year to provide support to the spearfishing competition and to provide education opportunities through an education stall as well as in mingling over the course of the festival with attendees and competitors. Indeed, fisheries officers attend and promote a range of activities and events to both support and educate the community on sustainable fishing practices, and I think they do an incredible job.

Aboriginal traditional fishing is an important part of the overall fisheries landscape, with our First Nations having always understood the importance of sustainably harvesting our precious marine resources. I congratulate the Gynburra event organisers on a successful event and wish them all the best for their future festivals, highlighting and encouraging the hugely important connection between the Narungga people and traditional fishing.

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